Garmin is facing criticism from some users of its Fenix 8 AMOLED smartwatch over the device’s automatic brightness adjustment, with complaints ranging from the display being too dim to still being too bright in low-light conditions, according to a discussion on the company’s user forum.
The issue has been debated in a forum thread that has attracted more than 20,000 views and over 130 comments. The Fenix 8 AMOLED is equipped with an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts screen brightness, a feature Garmin says is intended to stop the display from being “blindingly bright” in dark environments.
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Many users argue that the lowest automatic brightness setting makes the screen difficult to read, particularly at night. A smaller group of users has raised the opposite concern, saying the display remains uncomfortably bright in the same conditions. Garmin does not currently allow users to manually adjust the minimum brightness threshold, limiting customization.
In an early response, Garmin representatives indicated the issue was being reviewed. Weeks later, however, a company representative told users that engineers had “determined this behaviour is by design,” signalling that no software fix was planned. Some users have since shared temporary workarounds, such as changing data fields and accent colours to white to improve visibility.
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Other forum participants have urged affected customers to contact Garmin support directly, suggesting that a higher volume of complaints could prompt the company to reconsider its approach. Garmin has not indicated whether it plans to add additional brightness controls in future updates for the Fenix 8 AMOLED.
Source: Garmin Forum, Gadgets & Wearables